The OICD and The Social Sciences Division, Oxford University, are pleased to announce a co-hosted workshop described below. (pdf version)

Fulfilling the Potential and Mitigating the Risks of Ethnographic-Led Interventions
New Directions in Ethnographic Data Collection, Mining, Analysis and Application

Hosted by the Organization for Identity and Cultural Development (OICD) and The Social Sciences Division, Oxford University

September 3rd-4th, 2018

Department of Anthropology, Oxford University
64 Banbury Road, Oxford U.K., OX2 6PN

The potential of ethnographic research to help solve a variety of societal problems and address and build key policy frameworks has been proven over decades. Conducting, organising and systematically analysing ethnographic research in ways that are practitioner friendly and which can be done to scale, however, perhaps represents a new area of utilisation. This is particularly the case when new technological and/or methodological practices become the foundation for building and implementing social interventions.

This workshop is designed to showcase ways in which ethnographic research is being utilized in new ways by organizations with specific applied remits. The workshop is interested in: revealing the techniques and technical challenges of these approaches, the potential for them to be of use to the policy areas that they apply themselves to, and in exploring their limitations and moral implications in a world where human data is easily and frequently exploited for political and/or economic gain.

Keywords: Applied Ethnography; International Development; Computer and Information Sciences; Social Intervention; Informed Policy; Social Media Data Collection and Analysis; Mapping; Developing theory into algorithms and output; Coding challenges; App development; Network analysis; Discourse analysis; Innovative uses of ethnographic data; Software driven visualisations; Exploring applications and limitations of data driven analysis.

Schedule

Monday September 3rd — DAY ONE

10.45am Introduction and Welcome Remarks–Emilia Groupp (University of Oxford & OICD) & Bruce White (OICD)

11am Utilizing Ethnographic Data and Analysis to Counter Conflict and Promote Cohesion: Introducing the “Engagement Methodology for Identities in Conflict” (EMIC); Bruce White (OICD and UCL) and Emilia Groupp (OICD and Oxford University)

11.45am Q&A

12.30 Coffee

1pm-2pm Lunch

2pm Edgeryders Introduce an Applied Ethnographic Data Mapping and Analysis Platform; Alberto Cottica (Edgeryders) and Anique Yael Vered (Edgeryders)

2.45pm Q&A

3.30 Coffee

4pm Presentation Slot #3 TBA

4.45pm Q&A

5.15pm END of DAY ONE

5.30pm Informal Drinks Reception St. Antony’s College Bar

Tuesday September 4th — DAY TWO

9.30am Panel One–Technical challenges and opportunities

9.45am Q&A

10.30am Coffee

11am Panel Two–Applications and Interventions–Challenges and Opportunities